The Redeemed Nastika
by mugu
Summary: What if Gandharva was a little bit less indecisive and acted one second earlier in order to save Teo Rakan? On which extent this turn of events would affect Kubera's World?
1. Verity

Tittle : The Redeemed Nastika

Summary: What if Gandharva was a little bit less indecisive and acted one second earlier in order to save Teo Rakan? On which extent this turn of events would affect Kubera's World?

A/N: Just a wish from a fan that would never come true. A dream to achieve through this fiction, I'll make it real as nobody would do it. I really was troubled that the couple I shipped for so long just was... well, you know anyways.

Disclaimer: This fanfiction, as Kubera's World are Currygom's intellectual property solely.

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**~ Chapter 1: Verity ~**

* * *

**Gandharva Clan, nastika - Gandharva (King)**

_"The King of the 'Gandharva Clan", one of eight GREAT clan of Sura. According to the list made by the gods, Gandharva ranked 5th among Nastika, behind Ananta, Vritra, Yaksha and Asura. However, now that Ananta and Yaksha have been eliminated, he is third, behind Vritra and Asura._

_He is most often sighted in a planet - sized form, but sometimes is reported to be a city - sized or even smaller. His largest recorded appearance was when he apparently shallowed a red giant star. However, the only witness was Agni - and Agni died during the incident so this information cannot be relied upon._

_Gandharva's only mate is Menaka (excluding a propagation period at the beginning of the universe when he expended his following). A daughter was born, but she is too weak to have her name remembered..._"

The information above is a record of the water god Varuna-nim's words, heard in Mistyshore in D920.

* * *

**# The Reedemed Nastika #**

* * *

"You'll be surprised, you know," the bluish pig-tailed woman declared mischievously. "He's actually –"

"Gandharva," affirmed a feminine voice firmly. This statement startled everybody around there, who converged their attention toward the blond soldier in armor.

"King of the Gandharva Clan, once named by the Gods as the fifth strongest Nastika... And third now Ananta and Yaksha are dead. He is currently in a severely wounded state, looking for his lost daughter. Because he cannot manage the search on his own, as he must borrow the strength of others...

... But the process does not sit comfortably with him."

_How –_

"He has no conviction about the righteousness of his actions, nor any guarantee of finding his daughter, and this is what causes him distress... Am I wrong?" she stated flatly.

Her interlocutor only remained speechless.

"If you have nothing more to say and as I dislike unnecessary conversation, shall we get to the point now?"

'**Hoti Kubera**' she chanted. Golden rays of light turned around her red gloves, and thus, her whole body tuned with her deadly weapon.

"H... how long have you..." the green-haired cyclops man spoked, astonished. "At the lake of reflexion," he was responded. "I saw _it_... Your Sura form."

_Why a Nastika approached me?_

_Is he really even a Nastika? _

_If he's trying to kill me, why he's taking too long to do it?_

"I then decided I would pretend I had seen nothing until I was sure of the answers," she revealed.

"Th-then, the way you acted towards me... All of it was..."

"No," she just said. "Everything I said to you was the truth. I knew you were a Nastika. I knew you had a daughter, as I suspected you had come to kill me... Yet, none of that mattered for me. Gandharva... I still don't know where your _heart_ really lies. You've been teetering on the _fence_ for far too_ long_. Now, it is _time_ to decide where you_ stand_. But I am no_ coward_, Gandharva. I refuse to be the sole survivor of a city razed to the ground."

And true to her words, she threw herself on her long awaited murderers.

* * *

Everything went far too fast for Gandharva.

First, he didn't expect that Sagara and her minions would directly come to kill the priestess, nor the priestess herself would know about his identity, as the fact she would not assault him even though she knew who he really was. And now, the fight that was currently processing before his eyes startled him even more.

_What should I do?_ he head-shook. He contemplated the woman named Teo Rakan fighting his former "associates" heatedly. Even though he knew (as he knew she knew) her fight was a lost cause, he was really impressed how well she managed to stand against one fourth stage Rakasha in human form. Her red lightsaber went back and forth within the gaps of their formation as easily as he saw her cutting with a kitchen knife the turkey she had cooked to him in her house not so long ago...

"Pingara, use your transcendentals. The non-offensive ones are still usable here," the Ananta clan's Queen proclaimed.

The white-haired Rakasha in green robe then released lightings profusely from his cloud-like body, preventing Teo to deliver a critical hit to her.

Yet, Teo seemed unscathed from this elemental assault.

"Is the electricity meant to defend you? Because it doesn't even tickle," she answered, emotionless.

_It should be related to her triple Chao-attribute_, Gandharva wondered. How much he hoped he would not have to intervene in this conflict...

**_Pingara, you can't hurt her with your transcendentals. Cloak your presence and get her!_** he felt to be told through the mental link that united the Sura's minds in this place.

And consequently, the Rakasha's eyes flashed red, before his body faded out, but Teo's keen eyes seemed to pierce through the illusion, and she sliced her hidden enemy's lower part to the shoulder.

"Cloaking?" the blond warrior said sarcastically. "I saw plenty of that during the cataclysm." The Ananta queen sweated. '_Transcendentals using items are possible inside the barrier... And she remembers the Cataclysm? She can't be underestimated in terms of experience.._.'

**...Sagara-nim, this human is too strong. We will not be able to defeat her in this fashion. I need to take sura form or call others for assistance.**

"Hmph... I thought it wouldn't be necessary to kill one priestess. If you take sura form now, it will mess up the plan..." squealed the blue-haired bitch.

'_Which plan?_' quickly assimilated Tao, but before she realized where did come the attack, she was suddenly hit in the chest by a sudden kick from a giant woman. This one had claws instead of hands, and her orange suit enveloped her inhuman white body. And she did not seem friendly at all...

**Apologies for my lateness, Sagara-nim. I was talking to _Maruna_. Cloche told me about the new plan on the way here.**

_"_R...Right. It's fine since you're here now. Kill that bitch before she annoys me any more!" Ordered bluntly Sagara.

Still enveloped in her Hoti Kubera, Teo recovered difficultly from the previous act. She was so screwed now, and she knew the arrival of this new opponent reduced dramatically her life span. She was already in the corner, but she did not want to come to such a plea. She stared back at her previous companion in green clothings, the man who brought her to this trap. Her sorrow just submerged her as she saw he was still hesitating. He didn't even have the courage to lift his eyes to hers, as if _he_ was _ashamed_. Sadly, she realized: '_Perhaps... did I make too ricky a gamble..._'

And thus, she stood up, ready to face off her death.

* * *

'_And this is the end... The end of our story..._' Gandharva contemplated the last moment of this woman. She was fighting admiringly, he admitted reluctantly. Himself, if he had been pushed in such a situation, wondered how he would manage to cope it. His heart just ripped apart when he observed her beautiful blue eyes conveyed in his direction. He had not been able to bear such a view... In the end, he was still the same coward who could not resolve to take a firm decision. He was just an observer, someone who looked at from afar this marvelous picture of courage and beauty becoming stained by blood. He knew her destined was traced since the arrival of Riagara, the strongest workforce of his Ananta counterpart. Those vicious snakes... _Daring to touch her body shamelessly_. Surprised to have such thoughts, he reflected to himself:

_'Shakuntala, what must I choose?_

The reflection in the obscured sky of his daughter seemed to reply:

**_Dad, I know I'm precious to you... But for everyone else, you are much more important than I am. So, if someone uses me as bait, you can't come to my rescue. You have to abandon me. I'm telling his to you, because I know how much you treasure me, and you just as are for me... So, please, don't make things you'd regret later, I would not forgive you for that._**

'_I... I... I don't know... I don't know what to do... I can't abandon you Shakatunla. You're not fair... I just... can't... can't... I..._'

Sagara from afar was observing the slightness actions of the Leviathan. She could almost fell the turmoil inside him and was ready to intervene at any moment for he would not thwart what she had planed to do to him. Sagara's eyes derived suddenly to the fight. Her henchman had just become sliced again. Damned, this human really became to be irritative, she should finish her off soon...

* * *

This one was more tenacious than the previous one, Teo evaluated. This orange-giant was decidedly strong, really strong. Perhaps even stronger than her rival Airi Yui, the 6th magician. And she feared the worst as this was _only_ the_ human form_ of this monster. And just when she was going to retaliate, her enemy grabbed her violently before pushing her into the soil. She hit her head, arms, chest so violently that she could not even breath. Her face became bruised. She could fell her bone cracking. Her back was sore, and only reclaimed to rest. Trembling, she tried to catch up her sword but her hand was crushed by the ruthless foot of the Rakasha.

Through the torture, Teo realized desperately that she had been really stupid to trust Gandharva. Worst, she had just been a fool to trust a Nastika. After all, weren't they only monsters that sought for their destruction? A Nastika choosing to stand with a human... What an impossible dream... She just let herself get excited over his apparent fleeting sweetness... That was only illusions... Her disillusions... She recolected her past, at a moment she just followed her, doubting him, hoping to dig up his most mysterious secret. As she redoubted, he just spotted her and mischievously remarked with his nonchalant tone:

"Clean is better don't you think? There's no need to be flashy... but being neat ain't so bad."

_What hopeless dreams, indeed. Such a foolish woman I am. I... just dreamed, after all..._

She closed her eyes, waiting for her sentence.

That yet didn't come.

She felt her lifted up. A tight embrace that enveloped her warmly, and coldly strangely too. She opened her blue eyes, which revealed just before her the man for whom she was enamored.

"Why..." she choked, spitting blood on his immaculate clothes.

"Ssh..." He hissed. "I realized something; something I had forgotten since a long. Too long for me to remember: That I can't hold onto everything. That's just too much greed." He raised his fist next to his eye patch. "For one thing I take, there is forcibly a counterweight. Trying too much will only make me end up losing it all. That's... my Verity, the verity I just discovered again."

'_Isn't it, Shakantala?_'

And somewhere, his daughter's specter seemed to smile proudly at him.

Finally, he again became Gandharva, the revered representative of one of the great clans of Sura _–_ a Nastika King.


	2. Duties

**AN: **I just include in my fanfiction a whole one-shot (1K words) named Mayfly that the author Countess Millarca wrote. If it happens she reads this story, I hope she will have the heart to forgive me because I could not let such beautiful writing to be left untold. Truthfully, it was her OS that encouraged me to write this very story. Also if you take pleasure to read this story, it would be really kind to send her a message to say how grand her work is. I wished if I could have the opportunity to form sentences in such delicate manner...

To CeroZero & Guest: Only with a single chapter you give such praises. I bet you will be looking forward for this story completion!

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Last God Kubera, nor the passage I borrowed. All rights belong to Currygom and the OS' author.**

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**~ Chapter 2: Duties ~**

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_Teo Rakan, Head of the Kalibloom Fighter Union, winner of the N7 fighter tournament, and runner-up in the N11 and N15 fighting tournaments, she is also the priestess of the Temple of Chaos. Forty eight years-aged quarter __ though _ she only seems to be in her twenties. Blond-haired and blue-eyed, she always appears in red armor but remains mostly helm-less. She has crimson markings around the outer corners of her eyes, which are often mistaken for make-up, but are in fact the few remaining signs of her Sura heritage. She is well-known for her unmatchable fighting abilities, as for her unfitness to cast magic, due to her unique triple Nil attributes. Ranked 9th among magicians, genius, and supplemented by her Transcendental skills, she was the first to become the President of the Kalibloom branch of the Fighter's Guild at twenty two years old.

_If she's famous for her past achievements, she is no less for her friendliness towards Halfs – which is considered as a source of common gossips. Mosts find her concern for Halfs a bother, insisting that she is simply being too meddlesome. Some even support than she just earned her A+ magic license to increase the numbers of Halves she can guarantee. Above all else, she is very frank and confident in her manner, speaking her mind plainly. The few persons who dared insult her "foreign" origins had quickly found their mouths shut in a very "sharp" and "dolorous" way. Fewer even suggested she even is par with Sura themselves, but those might be certainly only mindless speeches of her haters, and no one sane would imagine a monstrosity of this extent..._

* * *

**# The Reedemed Nastika #**

* * *

The first time Teo laid eyes on him, she knew him for what he truly was. Danger. Deep sea tinted gaze and siren lure and terrifying beauty – much too painful for mortal eyes to behold. Strange gentleness dwelt in his cyan depths, deceptive. Breakable. Teo could not tell if it was a subconscious reaction or a calculative act on his part, but it made no difference. All she knew was that she did not regret the reckless gamble she took at that moment, even if she later had to pay the heaviest price for the barest caress of his clandestine gaze.

Eye heavy lidded and lips leisurely curved, he tilted his neck towards her in an elegant arc, and Teo could not help but lingered when she saw herself reflected in abysmal waters. She likened them to an ancient ocean, threatening to drown her if she dared venture too deep, beyond her mortal bounds. Shades of royal-blue and ice-green captivated her vision, yet lethal red lurked around the edges. Dark blood shimmers crimson against the paleness of his skin and she discarded all useless thoughts at once.

It was a real pity he could not grant her a name to call him by as he claimed lethe when she asked, but he did not need one in truth. He was perfection, and perfection needs neither name nor memory – it simply _is_. Teo took him to _her_ city, to _her_ healers, to _her_ home, with no more questions asked. He was quiet and courteous and listens to her voice with deliberate intrigue when she spook – and Teo _loved_ that. Tendrils of noble regality cloak every motion he did and every word he uttered. Slowly, almost instinctively, she came to regard him as a being who naturally possesses a higher quality – a quality of a king.

Unaware of the _why _or _how _or _when_, Teo shared aching fragments of her shadowy past with him; she answered the subtlety of his delving questions with cutting honesty, but it did not hurt as much as she expected. No – not nearly enough. His visible eye was aglow with knowing torment and she found solace in his azure painted silence. Sympathy was not a foreign sentiment to her, after all. Teo indulged in compassion on a constant basis, sponsoring abandoned children, even adopting a daughter of her own, wishing to fulfill a deeply rooted craving, yet she had never been the recipient of it, only the giver. Attraction was not born of empathy, she knew, but she felt grateful to her merciful nature despite her ill-fated luck.

_Nastika._

_Gandharva_.

What terrible luck she had indeed.

The day the lake of reflection revealed his well guarded secret is the day Teo wished to erase, to forget. Kali was undeniably a cruel goddess, befitting the title of chaos – for even her _gifts_ were designed to cause bleak agony. Perfection _does_ have a name, but it is not a name _she_ could utter. Daring to speak his name would only shatter the precious delusion she had allowed him to wrap her in so securely all this time – and Teo _hated _that. Melodious laughter spilled from her lips as she finally saw the silky webs holding her prisoner to his forbidden charm, yet there was no joy in the hollow sound. Did he seek demise, desire death? For whom? Her people, _her_? Teo could not fathom his heart's motives even, though, he must surely understand hers with painful clarity – and, so, she pursued him blindly.

Uncaring of shame, she listened to the lulling cadence of his voice as he revealed truths that hurt worse than his lies. A perfect stranger was whom he chose to confide in – and this hurt even more. However, Teo granted pardon to this slight because she could not truly blame him, nor did she wish to. Her chest was laden with heaviness, breath struggles in her lungs, and she averted her eyes to relieve the burden in her heart. Futile. Bitterness and sweetness leaded her aimless steps while she wandered in a city she knows, yet her eyes were not able to recognize. A ray of sapphire light shattered the dimness of her gaze when she regained her senses – and Teo saw a _king_ at her feet. She would have thought him cold as ice if not for the searing warmth invading her senses when he dusted her pant leg. His soft touch burnt like slow fire, seeping through the thick fabric to bathe her in rapture, but it was his devastatingly beautiful smile that sealed her voice.

_Gandharva –_

So that Teo chanted his name – again, and again, and again – yet the hallowed sounds never escaped past her lips, never reached his ears. _No_ – she kept his name to herself because she treasured this transient moment far too much to ruin it with the foul taste of reality. He was a Nastika King and she was a Priestess of Chaos, creatures never meant to exchange such illicit glances, but she pretended they were _Gandharva_ and _Teo_ – a _man_ and a _woman_. Surely, the gods would allow such a small favor, even the heartless Kali. They would be King and Priestess once more. _Tomorrow_. _Not tonight_.

Yet, the gods were not the benevolent beings Teo had vainly strived to make them be, nor do they yielded for the pleading of mortals. However, she should have known there would be a price for dallying with divine danger; and in the deepest confines of her soul she already did. If she had indulged a grave sin then Teo was willing to compensate for her alleged crime – the crime of being a _woman_. Dignity. Courage. Valor. The warrior residing within her body lived and abided by their essence, but she was a woman. And she had fallen victim to the predominant fate of their kind – to love a man. That her chosen man happened to be an unattainable dream she reveled for a fleeting time was merely a whimsical coincidence.

…_What hopeless dreams _

_I dreamed._

_Ah…_

_I'm glad…_

_Maybe the weren't so hopeless…_

… _after all._

* * *

Black eye patch slowly taken off of its place, slender hand that came back and forth, green and yellow shades of fireflies fluttering here and there, Teo could not help but be mesmerized by the shorten vision that was projected in front of her. Overflowing Power, sickening presence enveloping the area and warped her whole-fully, as the Nastika who was no more, finally returned to the humans' Realm as a King:

His very pale skin tone turned into a light blue. His hair of medium length, greenish in color, just flowed profusely and now freely on his back, bound by one blue sharp edged accessory. Where Teo expected to be left a hole revealed a pure ocean-like eye. Thus, the past hesitation that was clouding him had been evaporated into flaming determination. All his appearance changed instantly either, whether if it were for his features or his black boots, black trousers, and grayish-black shirt as his wearing a thick, black, sleeved coat, outlined by the blueish-black fur which were substituted by a light green trousers, a light green sleeved overcoat, and a blue sash that circled his waist. His air that seemed to be rich appeared now to be rather wild, ancient, as if he exposed to her his tribal origins. She was so confused that she did not heard when the sound of her name into her ear.

"Are you fine? Can you move?" she finally listened to the grievous question that Gandharva murmured. Soft, mighty, that was how it rhymed for her. She tried to get up, but the grimace deforming her face was enough reply for her protector to hold her more closely. He sighted, heavily and stared finally at the blue-haired Ananta Queen who leaded the Rakashas in disguise. Strangely, this one did not seem to be surprised, nor the less bit disappointed, no...

She just appeared to be slightly annoyed.

"My, my, Gandharva, isn't it unlikely to you to side with humans? Traitor would be a the right word to describe you right now. If I had known that your daughter mattered so little for you, I wouldn't have tagged you along first hand in our plan."

'_Again the mention of this plan..._' analyzed subversively Teo as she cried a little bit. Oh god! Why did her ribs have to ache like hell?! Hopefully, Gandharva got her sword back so she did not have to bend down to recover it. Still, she felt _weirdly_ comfortable in his arms.

"I never pretend, never I will pretend to side with them, nor I abandoned the idea to rescue my daughter. It was not your prerogative to chase after my _prey_, as we initially planed you left her to me."

'_So, I was his prey, uh?_' chuckled idly Teo before shaking up those stupid thoughts and thinking clearly about the situation. Even though she had acquired a strong ally, she was not out of dangers at all.

"Tsk Tsk, when did my little pet fish becomes a wild shark?" purred sarcastically Sagara, taunting him mercilessly, her claws-like fingers tapping nervously on her shoulders. But Gandharva remained atone, still in guard. Her henchmen were ready, just waiting for her orders to go. "I wonder what Maruna would say, if he saw you now, weak and dotard. His mentor has run crazy I dare say, to protect the very human he swore to kill..."

_'So, it was his mission after all...'  
_

"And that is precisely why I just chose not to take Maruna with me; his chicken head can be thick to reason sometimes. Now, if you enable me to ask for some helps," he summarized as he stuck two fingers onto his mouth. Teo, as Sagara and her minions had to cover their ears not to become definitely deaf because of the astonishing whistle that made echo throughout the whole forest.

"What was for?" barked Sagara. She knew they were barely any Gandharva Sura in the surroundings, but she could never be sure with a old tricky bastard as _him_. She then heard some bushes frowning few meters away. Riagara and Pingara bared their fangs, but the newcomer just happened to be a mere Mara – that had the appearance of a harmless cumbersome sea-cow seven meter large. Teo recovered the first from the surprise and she remarked Gandharva grin widely, contrasting everybody's disappointment.

**My Lord, what are you doing with those filthy snakes?**

**Kyu, I'm not in mood to discuss. Just carry this human far away from there. Take care of her as you'd take care of my _Rakasha_. **

"As if you think we let you do as you please, Gandharva..." warned ominously Sagara through the oral way. "Riagara, Pingara, get her before she climbs on this fish thing!"

"Quick!" Gandharva pressed Teo to get on his subordinate.

"But, I want to fight them with you! I'll not let you protect me as if I were a weakling!" Teo replied healthfully, but he shook his head with disdain before staring intensively at her.

"I know you are strong, you proved it to me sufficiently but your duties remained the same, protecting your city the best, as mines... are none your concerned," he harshly reprimanded her, but before the grievous look of Teo, he was obliged to continue more softly: "You shall go from now on," he chanted through her ear. He then threw her hard on the back of the sea-cow, who flied the quickest possible from this this place just when Riagara and Pingara were about to deliver simultaneously a critical strike to the Mara, but Gandharva intervened, placing himself between them and the runaways. His right arm transformed into a immeasurable ice fang he brandished before the two Ananta Rakashas.

"What do you wait for?! Catch them up!" Sagara's voice reverberated like a whip.

"I feel like playing, I've always wanted to chop you into pieces – snakes have always been a particularly favorite snack of mine," announced Gadharva. Riagara and Pingara gulped though Sagara was not the least impressed. They then heard Teo shout from afar:

"Hold on, Gandharva! I'll be back as soon as possible with help." He just flickered some fingers in air to hell her she better had to flee promptly with the Mara, who vanished one instant later in the forest. The atmosphere became suddenly tense between the remaining Sura.

"My, my, isn't it touching Gandhy? Such a lovely relationship you have with her!", mimicked Sagara as if she shallowed some candies. Gandharva turned toward them and evaluated the situation in which he threw himself into. Weakened as he was, he knew he had really little chance to win the further battle. Even in a duel against Sagara alone, he wondered if he had sufficient power to beat her, even though she was considered as one of the weakest Nastika. But the problem was not solely her, the two minions alongside herself. In the past, Maruna had been with him for each altercation he had with the Ananta Clan but now, he was all alone.

"Think, think Gandharva. Because you will soon have no more time for this. Now that your little chicken is no longer here to cover your sorry butt, I'll take an immense pleasure to beat you to a pulp. Your little show did not impress as you seem to belive, as we all know that you can't win against us frail as you are." Thus, Sagara snapped her fingers, and her and her minions all circled the green-haired man who took a defensive stance. The only chance for him to get through this alive was to stall enough time for the priestess' return...

* * *

Maruna, the red half-human half-bird was waiting on a cliff, arms crossed. His gigantic eagle wings were flapping the ground with demonic strength. He looked from afar the gigantic mountains that throned over this country. His eyes were permanently scanning through the forest for hints about Sagara's army advancements. He knew that snakes were not to be trusted. Why did it take so much time for them to kill one single human? Did they uselessness reach a new limit?

In truth, Maruna knew that his mentor was part of his delay someway. When he encountered him in his trip with the_ woman_, the expression he read on Gandharva's face really surprised him. For a long time – since ever Sakuntala's disappearance, Gandharva had always looked depressive, lunatic, and Maruna wondered why the Nastika King appeared to be so lively alongside the woman human. Maruna would never try to comprehend him, as his determination to look after a probably dead offspring. Maruna also wondered why Gandharva pleaded him not to intervene to kill the priestess. Maruna at first supposed that was because he was in his "human form" but he guessed that he even already had had plenty possibilities to behead her.

So, why had he not acted already?

Maruna's thoughts lingered one moment on this question before he shook it off. All those interrogations were pointless as worthless. Because he had to wait for nothing that he had this stupid train of thoughts. He cursed Gandharva not to inform him directly that he inclined to plot for Kalibloom's attack with the Ananta clan. It would have saved a lot a time for they reached their goal. Now, what should he do? Should he come to help them in order to kill this priestess?

Then, in the extreme corner of his vision field, he distinguished movements through the trees beneath him, in the forest. He used his sharp-eyed gaze to dissolve what was it. He saw the blond woman passed inside the forest alongside with a Gandharva Sura. Maruna guessed immediately what it meant; Gandharva _betrayed_ them. Yet, could he indulge himself to go against his mentor's will?

It was something he was going to decide.

**Yaksha half, you can listen to me, right? We are moving. _Now._**

* * *

Sagara was absentmindedly straightening her claws towards Gandharva. She clearly saw that Gandharva was not about to attack, considering the stance he took.

"So Gandharva, what you have to say before I pummel you to death?"

"Nothing," he replied as he avoided a high kick of Riagara.

Pingara, the shady Rakasha tried to warp his tail around Gandharva's waist. The green-haired man tumbled, described a round hop with his body. Once he got on the ground, he used his giant ice fang to pierce Riagara's back, who yet dissolved in a smoke screen. Riagara, the orange viper drowned Gandharva with a rain of fists and kicks. The Ancient deflected this assault with a frosting wall, then wreathed the area in a dense mist.

"You are really willful to go that_ far_ Gandharva, using unique transcendentals just for Rakashas. I presume I have to show you how terrifying a Nastika should be." Sagara gender-bended in his male-self, before himself melting into noisome dust. Orange and blue vapors mixed up, creating a new kind of ruby fluid. Riagara and Pingara got out quickly not to be stuck in the duel between the two Nastikas.

Gandharva appeared on the opposed side of the mist, followed few instants later by Sagara. Gandharva then attacked in a wide radius slash, avoided short by Sagara who transformed some part of his body into small snakes which bit Gandharva's lower parts. The Leviathan considered with disgust the poison conveyed through his veins, and used his Resurrection affinity to burn out the infection out of his body.

Sagara profited he was distracted to send him transcendental beams from all sides, obliging Gandharva to dance within his palm. Sagara plunged forward, sorting out blades made out of his arms, and sliced twice through Gandharva heavy defense, who was obliged to fall back on his knees not to be crushed. Gandharava closed his eyes, enduring the pain as he focused his inner energy, before he opened his mouth large and sent a lazer beam that blew up the landscape ahead; all trees incinerated, mountains razed and so on.

Yet, this attack did not affect Sagara, who reappeared few seconds later unscratched, while Gandharva was heavily panting and frail. Sagara watched him attentively before he laughed and transformed back into her female form.

"I really wonder what made you act like this. Perhaps it is because you finally realize the truth, Gandhy..."

"Which truth?" Gandharva inhaled, and spat few drops of blood. Sagara grinned evilly.

"About your daughter. The fact_ she_ _died, _that she was good food for Taraka's clan." This affirmation stunned him so much that it was as if his mind dissociated from his body, to the point he did not even fell the black cleaver chop his right arm.

* * *

Teo Rakan still recovered from her injuries. She wondered how, but the firm touch of Gandharva seemed to have euthanized the pain. She was too grievingly pondering what she should do once she would arrive in the Fighters' Guild. She hoped that Parr managed to flee from the apparent Rakasha named _Hura_. Though, Teo supposed too in case she came back that her guild would not let her to rescue the s_trange green-haired man_ that accompanied her, considering as a dangerous enemy, especially since the encounter with the dangerous Suras that Parr witnessed, the Fighters' Guild would definitely not let their priestess going in a suicide squad mission.

Suddenly, she felt herself propelled forward, as if the earth beneath her cracked. When she came back to her senses, she viewed that the Mara that Gandharva called stopped moving.

"Why did you stop, Kyu?!" she asked worriedly the sea-cow. She could fell its whole body trembling. She then looked in front of her, wondering what would provoke such a reaction for a creature as it, and she finally remarked the presence of a red-clothed man, standing on the way. She noted also the_ two wings_ on his back.

A Garuda Rakasha.

'_Oh God... What does it have to happen to me..._' Teo desperately sighted.

Teo eventually perceived her dear sister, Elwin she searched for so long, enclosed within the Garuda's hands.

"You monster!" Teo choked as she stood up almost instantly, getting up on the immobilized sea-cow. "Release her!"

But the Garuda remained motionless. He only blinked twice. When Teo was going to sort out her red sword, heard the shivering voice of bunny-eared child.

"T–Teo... Maru–na-nim asks you what hap–pened to the one-eyed man that accompanied you." Teo's eyes widened as she said; "You're Gandharva's friend? He needs help right now, and–"

But she was cut short by a red beam immersing from one lifted finger of the Garuda. Few locks of her blond hair fell on the ground, as Teo felt some blood drip from her jaw.

"Maru–na-nim orders you to fol–low him, and leads him where you parted with Gandharva. If you don't comp–ly to his or–ders, he af–firms he will kill everybody over there." Elwin cried as she put her hands on ears, as not to listen more of it. Teo glared at the Garuda for a few moments, and the Garuda returned his glare.

**I already spared you once... I will not do it once more.** She could read on his face. Teo smiled calmly to the Garuda. She slowly descended the sea-cow, that she told him to go with two taps on its scales.

"Okay, I'll accompany you, let just my sister go, you won't need her anyways." The Sura named "Murana" acquiesced.

"No Teo!" Elwin protested crying, running now free to the woman's in armor legs. "I don't want you to die!" Teo shook her head and bended down to her.

"Don't worry Elwin, I don't plan to die. Not yet." Teo murmured smoothing. "Just warn others that I'll probably leave the Barrier field so they may not worry for me. Tell them they have to protect Kalibloom when I'll be gone." She then stoop up, and with her weapon in hand, she faced the Garuda Sura that was still standing motionless from afar.

"We leave. This way." She declaimed with lifeless eyes, before she walked backward, from where she had came, followed by the winged Sura.

And before Elwin could shout her not to go, Teo's presence already vanished...

In the darkness of the night.

* * *

One moment of hesitation was enough to even overturn the grandest:

If Gandharva had only had the thousandth of his original power, he would have crushed Sagara and her minions like bugs. Even in his "true form", he was only but a shadow of his old-self, cursed by Taraka's influence so diminished that he did not expect this snake to resort such a trick for delivering a blow which determined the victory. Now, he could see Sagara's servitors coming to him. He had known the possible consequences of his acts when he protected Teo, as when he tried to create an ocean for his folks in the Sura Realm. He had predicted the fact it would have weighted heavily on him as the heaviest of burdens. He even had foreseen it could have caused him to die. But he had not cared, as he not cared either when he faced this time Sagara with his severed left arm.

In truth, if Agni saw him right now, he would laughed off his ass at him. Him, who used to lecture the Fire God not to be attached to a human being, a sub-race, he was exactly doing the same by going this far for this woman, whose life was as brisk as a candle's fire to him. Saying his case was desperate would be equivalent to say a euphemism. _His case wa_s_ hopeless_. If it was only for his severed arm, but all his body was just a bundle of condensed pain. There was no one left part of his skin that was not inflicted by a scratch – a slash. His blue – royal blood was profusely flowing. Unfortunately, all he could do was only to curse _his_ God.

_Visnu..._ he spat bitterly.

How he scorned this name now. This name of a good friend, an admirable God, a proficient drunker acolyte. Charming, terribly mysterious, Visnu in all his migh, had sworn to him opulence for his clan, great love that transcended races (at least, Gandharva hoped it was true now for this part), and mostly, an_ ocean_...

Thus feeling mishap, loneliness and culpability, Gandharva was paying now the price dearly; the price of his life.

No matter how grand Visnu was, he could not oblige without an express injunction the dreariest god of water Vayu to realize this wish. For he could not bring himself to see his _children_ dying, Gandharva tried to realize himself the prophecy. He did the same foolish mistake as Ananta did; he trusted a God. That fact he did not even try to rescue Ananta when he had the possibility was just blowing him up in return, as he had ironically to fight now his past folks.

Once again, he repeated the same error with Kubera, the _very_ murderer of Ananta, believing this treacherous and cunning would open the path for he got to know about his daughter's whereabouts. Instead, Kubera only enabled one of his worst enemies to come across the dimension and land on Human' Realm; the planet Willarv. And as it was not enough, this one – Sagara spouted bullshit about his daughter had died!

And it was true, now he realized it depressively. Why would Kubera bring _this freaking bitch_ here if not to tell him that all his hopes were vain?

"_What... I thought you would have come back to your senses by now!" _he reminded Sagara's insolent phrasing._ "Guess I was wrong. So damaged, and still going on about your daughter. You're pathetic, Gandharva. You want to tell you, once and for all? That defective weakling of yours, died a long time ago._"

_Died a long time ago... died a long time ago... died a long time ago..._

Those words she pronounced hurt more than any other wounds would have, and even more now he could prognosticate the extent of his madness, his tardiness. Shakuntala was dead. How could he not see it, this obviousness in his oblivious state?! If twice being a fool was considered as dumb, thrice was tenfold worst. A mortal sin for an immortal being – how moronic it was, indeed.

"Hello? Gandhy? Have you fainted yet?" Sagara threw him back to his senses as she just tittled her fingers before his eyes. He backed quick and glared ominously at her, as if he projected that his gaze would petrify this accursed bitch... An attempt that just resulted as a failure – not that Gandharva expected it to work though.

"Owh owh!", Sagara beside antagonized, tone mocking. "I think I'm gonna die Gandhy if you stare at me like that! Please, rescue me, my dear Rakashas! I succomb now!" She fluttered in Riagara's arms as a damsel in distress.

But she stood up again quick, unnerving Gandharva even more.

"No, just kidding, actually," she stated ruthlessly in front of Gandharva's hateful glare. "You are really a lost case Gandharva. Even with your arm cut by the shoulder, you still try to fight us, even though you already were in a bad state before I caught this," she declared as she threw Gandharva's arm at his feet. "Surrender now, and I'll bring the painless dead possible, as it fits to a King."

"As if..." he began before choking blood. He reluctantly took back a elegant pose – by no means he wanted to show he was feeble. "You hate my guts too much." he added sharply. "You really think I would bend my knees before you!?"

Yet, Sagara just shook her head depreciatively. She looked at him apparently sad and sorry.

"You're wrong Gandharva." He noted she did not use the insulting diminutive. "In truth, I have never hated you Gandharva, no, rather, I even once worshiped you, but it was in the past, before you meet this_ Menaka_ and become dotard. You were strong, you were ruthless, you were invincible, you were truly fitted to be a King. Menaka ruined you. Now, what Makara, your dear friend would say to you if he saw you now? Even when you had to maintain the ice barrier in the Sura Realm to protect your clan, Makara could have just taken off your head to take your place, but he decided not to, as you were still worth to be a_ King _– even with your mood swings. Now, I swear he would do it if he was here now. Imagine him seeing his King to choose a human over his daughter's life after all the ordeals he obliged his clan to get through, a King, who neglected all his _duties_ to finally abandon her at the end – Shakuntala."

"Don't you _dare_, say her name!" menaced silently Gandharva one eye closed by the pain.

"I can say her name whenever I want Gandharva. I will hint even you one thing." She walked past him, before she bent down next to his left part, whispering through his ear.

"_Your daughter, Gandharva, I know a way to make her come back..._"

_What?!_

But Sagara knocked him before he realized what he had said.

Sagara from this moment on looking intensively at him, laying lifelessly on the ground. She evaluated the possibilities she had, as she reminded some thoughtful words from a friend she past had:

"_I dislike hypocrites who pride themselves on their goodness. Fools who care only for their immediate surroundings. They are selfish as the rest of us... This is nothing wrong being selfish. It is natural to put the need of yourself and your loved ones first... But I cannot stand those who think it __makes them virtuous. I hate those who sit in safety and delude themselves into thinking the world is peaceful; those that close their eyes to the bloodshed which happens somewhere else._"

'_If you solely think I have a choice to do so Gandharva, you are then more stupid than I thought..._' The blue-haired woman recollected.

If Sagara appeared to be heartless, it was at first for her clan's interests. A King cannot afford to stray away from the way of a King, as Gandharva did every times he acted, prioritizing his close relatives – even his friends before the well-being of his whole clan. For that, she scorned him to the core. She wondered how it was absurd as strong as he was, he would fall for such trivial matters. Menaka really ruined the man she once admired, and desired to resemble. He was now only a shadow, a shadow of a shadow he had past been then, not even possessing one millionth of his original power, so weak both in mind and in body that he decided to fall in love with a human woman.

And how weird it befitted him as well, considering his personality.

But Sagara was no fool, nor she was blind. She knew that her eyes did not lie when they showed her the feelings fluttering between the priestess Teo Rakan and Nastika King Gandharva. She experienced it herself, at first herself toward Ananta, and Manasvin toward her. She had many lovers in the past, and she knew that love was foolish and untameable whenever it was released. Some say that love gives you freedom, but it is wrong. She just had to observe how enchained Gandharva was with his daughter's fate, and now with the priestess he was enamored. This was the reason for she decided to remain alone and without permanent partner.

**Sagara-nim, should we dispose of him? **She heard to be told through the mental link by her best lieutenant**. Such an opportunity to take over an enemy clan head would not happen any time soon,** Riagara suggested as she crushed the unconscious green-haired man's back.

Sagara looked back at her doubtful, but just shook her head afterward.

"No. No matter how I despise this... _King_, leaving a weakling on his throne will serve us on the long run more than killing him. Thus, even though he's a noncomplying vessel, his usefulness has not quite ended there... I heard humans were prone to ransom their _prey_, and I'm sure this accursed priestess will ac_tually pay a good price_ to see him again."

In a diabolic laugh, she and her henchmen got away, bringing the unconscious Gandharva with them.


End file.
